Monthly Summaries – Birding with a Sketchbook

September 2022

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September is perhaps the busiest month of the year although my only Knot of the autumn so far were these four juveniles feeding quite close by on the Old Spit Outflow on the 2^nd.

Ospreys were seen throughout the month, mainly in the Beaulieu River but also along Warren Shore. The peak count was three birds on the 3^rd but more often than not it was a single bird sat on one of the dead trees on Inchmery, often with a fish. Spotted Redshank numbers were good throughout September, starting with three on the 2nd and building to six by the 27th. September started with Black-tailed Godwit numbers in three figures on Venner but it dropped gradually during the month.

Almost all of my Grey Wagtails are birds overhead giving their presence away with a harsh penetrating call. It was therefore nice to see four birds settled on the muddy fringe on Venner on the 4^th.

August’s long staying Wood Sandpiper remained on Venner until the 6^thand the Ruff, also on Venner, left the same day.

At least one Common Sandpiper remained on Venner until the 6^th while another one was seen along Warren Shore on the 9^th. A juvenile Little Ringed Plover also remained on Venner until the 9^th

Other than hirundines the Wheatear is one of the most visible of migrants. They were seen regularly throughout the month with a peak of 11 on the 9^th, this included five near the Boardwalk Bridge and five along the Point Gorse Bushes.

Most Bar-tailed Godwits are seen on exposed mud along the estuary and so three on Great Marsh was slightly unusual on the 10^th.

A late Willow Warbler perched up nicely halfway along the Main Hedge on the 11th. Redstart passage continued until the 11th with single birds seen on seven different dates. Also on the 11th there were 13 Yellow Wagtails in various parts of the reserve. I didn’t manage any photos this year as most birds were calling flyovers.

It was good to find two Dartford Warblers on Gravelly on the 11^th. One or both of these two birds were then seen within a hundred yards of here on three subsequent dates.

Graham managed to trap one of the two birds and although, in the field, I’d guessed they were first winter birds, possibly from this year’s successful breeding pair, in the hand Graham commented that “it was in wing moult and it had an amber iris. A juvenile would not be moulting its wing feathers and it would have a muddy brown iris. Therefore the Dartford we ringed this morning was an adult female”. A third Dartford Warbler was heard calling along the Shore Hide fence line on two dates in the last week of the month.

adult female Dartford Warbler photo by Graham Giddens

Interesting WeBS counts on the 11th included 120 Curlew on Inchmery Saltmarsh, 91 Black-tailed Godwit around Venner and 89 Oystercatchers also on the saltmarsh. Four Spoonbill were seen flying over De L’Orne Scrape and the first Grey Plover of the winter, a group of three, were on the saltmarsh. Also a Hobby on the 11th was my last of the autumn. The Marsh Harrier over Black Water looked like an adult male which augers well for breeding next year.

All my Tree Pipit encounters are heard only or occasionally a distant bird flying high overhead. On the 11th, however, a Tree Pipit called loudly and then landed in a hawthorn tree opposite me. I managed a few quick photos. The last of the autumn were three flying over Great Marsh Groynes on the 16^th.

On Tuesday 13^th I decided to head around to the south side of Pullen via Mary Monts to check the brambles and gorse. I walked slowly to the slightly barer clearing and a bird flew up to my left, it landed on an exposed branch and through the binoculars I was amazed to see that it was a Wryneck. This is the peak time of year and I’d always had in mind that this area looked good for Wryneck but it was still a shock to find one. Quickly it flew into a small hawthorn at the edge of the reeds and began preening for a few minutes. I managed to get some photos before it slipped out of the back of the tree and I didn’t see it again. A real birding highlight.

Green Sandpipers remained in the Black Water area throughout the month with a peak count of four on the 16th. My first Brent Goose of the autumn was a single bird flying west past Mary Monts on the 18th, my earliest record. A drake Eider also headed west the same day. A late Swift flying over the Flooded Fields on the 20^th made me double take.

September is the peak month for Whinchat. The last was seen on the 20^th along Kingfish Ditch with the peak being seven birds on the 10^th. Blackcaps are resident but numbers are swelled with autumn migrants and they are a regular sight during September with nine birds being my peak on the 20^th.

Greenshank were pretty vocal and present in good numbers throughout the month, the peak of 14 on the 20th was my highest ever count on the reserve.

A Barnacle Goose was associating with a Snow Goose x Canada hybrid at the back of Venner on the 22^nd. Virtually all Barnacle Goose records here are from feral populations, this is only the sixth time I’ve seen a Barnacle Goose in the last two years and the first I’ve seen in 2022.

On the 24th every bird I got on to seemed to be a migrant Stonechat, I’d estimate close to 50 birds across the reserve. There is often a good finch passage along the spit in October and a calling Siskin here on the 24^th was my first since April. The same day my first Golden Plover of the winter was calling overhead near the Shore Hide.

While unsuccessfully trying to find a Spotted Crake at Pullen Hide I watched this Grey Heron with a large fish. For fifteen minutes it couldn’t decide if it could manage it and kept dropping it back into the shallows. Eventually it swallowed it down, pretty exhausting to watch.

I found a juvenile Little Stint on De L’Orne Scrape on the 24^th. I first saw it with a small group of Ringed Plover but it quickly walked away before flying off south. This is my fourth on the reserve.

I watched another Wood Sandpiper next to NFOC Islands on the 24^th. It is two weeks since I last saw the August bird and so I’m certain this bird must be newly arrived.

Spotted Flycatchers continued with a late juvenile (retained pale mantle feathers) seen near Gravelly Crossroads on the 24^th.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling from the tallest tree in the Cottage back gardens on the 20th.

Swallows (and a Sand Martin) photo by Dimitri Moore

It was very encouraging to see high number of hirundines passing through during the month. The approximately 350 House Martins feeding over the sea out from Mary Monts on the 24th was quite a spectacle. There was also a count of 400 Swallows on the 10th.

At this time of year checking the noisy Long-tailed Tit flocks is worth the time and usually means standing still and watching them all come past. Marsh Tits, Coal Tits, Chiffchaffs and my first Firecrest since May were all picked up this way. Hoping for a Yellow-browed Warbler at some stage!

The first returning Rock Pipits were three birds at the Sailing Club on the 27th.

Nearby, this adult Herring Gull was in heavy primary moult spending most of the month on Sluice Gate Saltmarsh. On two occasions I watched it bringing in a crab to eat on the grass near the Sailing Club.

As usual Sandwich Terns were hanging on and some will no doubt winter, three were fishing in the Beaulieu River on the 27th. Nearby, the wintering Kingfishers were seen along the water bodies and channels on the eastern side of the reserve.

A large movement of Meadow Pipits occurred on the 27th and included at least 150 individuals moving west past Mary Monts in a single flock.

Chiffchaffs were very common on several dates in the last ten days of the month, probably exceeding 40 individuals on at least two dates.

Other departing warblers included fairly late records of Lesser Whitethroat on Great Marsh on the 16^th a Whitethroat on the 22^ndand a Reed Warbler around Black Water on the 27^th. The yellow soles to the feet and the pale-tipped primaries made me briefly wonder about Marsh Warbler. Marsh Warblers, however, are normally a colder greyer brown with more extensive white tips to the primaries and the tertials overlap the secondaries although in hand measurements are usually needed for safe identification.

Wintering dabbling ducks were returning by the month end and Venner seemed to be the favoured initial arrival spot. There were three figure numbers of Teal, 30-50 Wigeon with 10-20 Pintail and Shoveler.

Sparrowhawks were seen regularly throughout the month often dashing low in ambush flights.

September is the peak month for Clouded Yellows and I saw them on eight occasions during the month. They were usually within a few meters of the sea often dashing past but occasionally stopping to nectar where they could find Thrift flowers.

The extended flight period of the Common Blue includes a second brood which keeps them on the wing until October. This male was seen near Great Marsh on the 10th.

Other September butterflies included Small Copper, Small White, Red Admiral and Painted Lady.

There were a few Common Darter on the wing, they last long into the autumn but Migrant Hawker is the most abundant dragonfly at this time of the year although it’s usually the males you see.

female Migrant Hawker photo by Dimitri Moore

Moth numbers start to fall from September onwards although I did manage a new moth in September, Portland Ribbon Wave.

A group of five Sika Deer was an unexpected find near the Reedy Ditch layby on the 2nd. I wound the window down for a photo but they quickly disappeared into the reed bed. Brown Hares were more obliging.

The regularly seen pale Common Seal was loafing in the sun on Inchmery on several occasions in the month.

While mist netting Graham caught this long-eared bat species. Nik Knight the County Recorder commented that it looks like a Brown long-eared bat as the tragus is relatively narrow, the thumbs are foreshortened and the colouration also seems to rule out Grey long-eared bat.

Brown long-eared bat photo by Graham Giddens

Monthly Summaries

July 2022

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The first sign of autumn is often the returning waders and Green Sandpiper is one of the earliest. After a late June individual there were three on the 10^th July on Venner Island. Then several other birds around Venner and also several calling over Pullen during the rest of July.

The first Black-tailed Godwits were on De L’Orne Flood on the 3^rd July all summer plumaged, presumably females returning first from Iceland. The males stay to finish the care of the juveniles. By the month end most of the adults were moving into winter plumage but no sign of the juveniles yet.

A Greenshank heard at Gravelly Marsh West in the first week of July was the first returning bird of the autumn with numbers building to six on De L’Orne Lagoon by the month end.

The first Spotted Redshank this autumn was a lovely summer plumaged adult on the 14th. There were three further sightings of Spotted Redshank during the rest of the month, all around Black Water.

2022 has been a long breeding season with early failures and good (if dry) weather meaning that birds have had second and third attempts. Eight Avocets fledged from Great Marsh and in mid-July they started wandering over to the De L’Orne area. Some late broods on De L’Orne Scrape meant that two have fledged here with another younger chick looking like it might become the third. Eleven in total would be a good result after last year’s single juvenile.

The Lapwing chick from Gravelly Marsh West was flying in the first week of July. As far I know only four Lapwing chicks fledged from the reserve this year.

The Oystercatchers on Beach House Beach fledged at least one chick although they were often difficult to see, it was usually the parents behaviour that indicated that there was a chick around. The chicks respond to the parents agitated calls by hiding in the groynes.

I saw two Redshank chicks on Great Marsh on the 2^nd July and there was undoubtedly another unseen chick from another pair on the other side of the marsh. A fully grown chick looking a bit Wood Sandpiper-like was on the back of De L’Orne Lagoon on the 21^st.

Little Grebe bred successfully on Venner, Black Water and Pullen with up to ten different chicks/juveniles seen including this pair of juveniles on Venner in the first half of July.

A pair of Common Terns were displaying, nest scraping and chasing off Black-headed Gulls from De L’Orne Lagoon early in the month before flying off over Black Water. They last bred here in 2019.

Adam found a Nightjar nest on the 18^th with two chicks being brooded, I saw them briefly from my car on the 21st. Unfortunately it seems that they were predated in the days that followed.

In 2022 I spent a good deal of time watching the schedule one Little Ringed Plover pair.

A protective cage and camera were placed on their nest as soon as I found it in early June. The cage prevented an early demise with the camera catching the sinister sight of a Fox staring through the bars on 26th June.

Fox staring at the Little Ringed Plover nest

The next morning the cage protection was bolstered with a pegged down wide fringe of chicken wire. All four eggs hatched on the 2^nd July and the chicks were ringed under the appropriate licenses and with consent from Natural England.

Little Ringed Plover chicks photo by Graham Giddens

The water on Gins East quickly dried up and it was all gone by the 15^th July. This was before another blisteringly hot spell and so I was pleased to see them again on the 21^st. All four had survived and at 19 days old were almost ready to fly. On the 26^th July there was no sign, my guess is that the whole family had moved away to find some exposed mud. The reserve is clearly a stop off point for Little Ringed Plover as they begin their journey back to Africa. I saw up to seven other juvenile birds on various parts of the reserve during the month.

The Ringed Plover nest at the Sailing Club hatched three chicks on the 27^th but unfortunately one of them was very badly deformed and the other two healthy chicks were predated within a day or so, probably by Gulls or Crows. Sad news but the second half of this season has been a success for the Ringed Plover mainly due to our new cage and camera system. More on this and a full summary of the breeding bird news will be published here and also in the autumn Newsletter due in early September.

In other news a pair of Marsh Tits opposite the entrance to Stagg’s Wood on the 28^th July were my first ones of the year and a pair of Great White Egrets showed nicely on De L’Orne Lagoon on the 21^st July being joined by a third bird on the 26^th.

The three Pochard ducklings survived and grew to look like mum by the end of the month. Gadwall also did well again in 2022 with at least five broods were seen, mainly on Venner, with a maximum of 25 chicks.

On the 28^th July a juvenile Redstart near the Cottages was a nice surprise flicking up from the gorse to reveal its red tail. I saw an early juvenile close to here last year as well, on the 11^th July.

Sand Martins began to move through in the third week with approximately 75 feeding over Venner and then the Flooded Fields on the 21^st July. Juvenile Swallows and House Martins were also seen over Venner mid-month.

The first Wheatear of the autumn was on De L’Orne Lagoon on the 26^th and Spoonbill numbers grew to 10 by the 29^th July.

July is a peak month for moths and Needs Ore produced some huge counts including plenty of moths only rarely recorded in the county. In July I ran traps on 12 nights and on the 16^th I caught 951 moths of 167 different species. The following records were particularly noteworthy.

I caught four darts which looked good candidates for Coast Dart which would be the first records for the county if confirmed. Similarly a Eucosma aemulana would be the first adult ever recorded in the county although this may have needed dissection for 100% certainty on the identification. Two Ringed Borders at Sims Wood were the third county records and likely to be the first breeding records. A Crescent Striped was only the 4^th in the last 14 years. There were no records in Hampshire last year of Epermenia aequidentellus or Euchromius ocellea and the following three species were recorded only once last year in Hampshire – Cosmopterix lienigiella, Gelechia sororculella and Crescent.

In addition to the above the following moths were recorded on fewer than five occasions in the county in 2020 – Acleris kochiella, Saltmarsh Plume, Anarsia spartiella, Small Clouded Brindle, Brown-veined Wainscot, Dingy Mocha, Goniodoma limoniella, Psoricoptera gibbosella, Olive Crescent and Balsam Carpet.

The first Silver-studded Blue was on the wing on the 2^nd July and Purple Hairstreaks were flitting above Warren Lane’s short oaks on the same day.

Visiting Sims Wood on the 16^th July provided three new butterfly species for me on the NNR – White Admiral, Essex Skipper (you can see the black undersides to the antennae in the photo below) and Silver-washed Fritillary. This sees my NNR butterfly list climb to 29.

The first Black-tailed Skimmer was seen in front of Pullen Hide on the 2nd and a Broad-bodied Chaser was perched near Black Water Hide on the 14th. Common Darters and Ruddy Darters were also seen in the month although I didn’t see any Emperor Dragonflies during July.

The dragonfly highlight of the month was undoubtedly a male Southern Migrant Hawker seen patrolling the ditch adjacent to the Shore Hide from the 21^st July until to the end of the month at least. The brilliant blue eyes and blue abdomen (no brown) separate this from the far commoner Migrant Hawker which is on the reserve in large numbers from late July onwards.

This is exactly the same place as last year’s August male. It seems very likely that Southern Migrant Hawkers are breeding here, amazing given that they have only just colonised the south east. The ditch is totally dry now and so they may struggle this year. Southern Migrant Hawker is a univoltine species, that is to say it completes its life-cycle in one year and so this individual could well be the offspring of the male I saw last August.

Queen bumblebees at this time of the year switch egg production from workers to males/daughter queens and so this large female Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) may well become a queen with her own nest in due course.

July and August are the peak months for seeing grasshoppers. This is a Mottled Grasshopper showing the characteristic mottling and the pinched in pronotum markings (the cream-coloured lines on the back of the neck are squeezed in very sharply).

I placed my bat detector near Black Water House and all the common bats were recorded as well as the rarer Grey long-eared bat, Barbastelle and Leisler’s bat.

April 2022, birds, Monthly Summaries, Spring 2022

Highlights April 2022

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A frustrating run of cold northerly winds seemed to last all month slowing up the arrival of migrants and making this key sea watching period along the Solent very poor.

Small groups of Eider were moving back and forth on the sea early in the month and a female Red-breasted Merganser was still around on the 3^rd. Dunlin and Turnstone were also hanging on at the month end. On the WeBS count early in the month there were impressive numbers of Mediterranean Gulls with 298 almost all adults gathering in their normal spot south east of Inchmery Quay.

Brown Hares continued to be in evidence including this obliging individual which trotted towards me showing the rufous colour, long legs, dark-tipped ears and also the tail held low unlike the Rabbit which holds it up flashing the white more obviously.

A small passage of Green Sandpipers moved through early in the month. They are on their way to breed in Finland and Russia having spent the winter in southern Europe or possibly Africa.

The male Dartford Warbler I first found in mid-January was singing for most of the month unable it seemed to attract a partner. I did see it with another male on the 5^th and then I finally saw a female with one of the males on the 16^th. Both males stopped singing in the last week of April. I’m hoping to find evidence of breeding in May.

The Little Ringed Plover pair continued to split their time between the muddy fringes and the shingle overthrow where they bred last year. They also flew over to De L’Orne Scrape to feed on several occasions. I saw them mating twice around last year’s nest site but it wasn’t until the 29^th that they finally settled on a spot and I found the first egg.

Wheatears were fairly thin on the ground this spring with only three sightings so far compared to 12 last year, my first was on the 3^rd April.

There were two Spotted Redshank on the 3^rd but none were seen after this date. They head off to northern Scandinavia to breed. Greenshank, however, were still around at the month end. Those that linger are more likely to breed in Scotland as opposed to Scandinavia.

Also on the 3^rd on the private side of the Park Shore fence the wintering Purple Sandpiper was associating with Turnstones. It seems likely to be heading back to Norway or Iceland soon. On the 16^th I saw it again on the beach near Mary Monts with other lingering winter visitors, Grey Plover and Turnstone.

I tried out a new Emperor Moth pheromone lure. People have had good success with these in other places this spring. Emperors Moths are reasonably common in the New Forest but difficult to see well as they rarely land. I attached the pheromone-impregnated rubber bung to my tripod and stood upwind of several decent areas of heather and gorse but it wasn’t until my third try when I was on the beach at Park Shore that I got lucky.

He buzzed me several times before settling on my ruck sack and then my head! I managed to cup it in my hands and it stayed for a quick photo. This is the first ever record for Needs Ore/Park Shore and also the first ever record for the whole 10km square (SZ49). I saw other male Emperors at Mary Monts on 23^rd and at the Wardens’ Hut on the 30^th.

The 9^th of April finally brought me first Merlin of the year. A large looking female dashed out across in front of me when I was at Wheatear Corner and then landed on the up-turned tree roots on the shingle ridge. She will be heading north soon to breed on the moors in Wales, northern England or Scotland.

The adult Spoonbills headed back to the Netherlands mid-month leaving a second calendar year bird on its own for the rest of the month. His ring NBNZ confirmed a Dutch origin and that he wintered in Poole Harbour.

It was great to hear a Willow Warbler singing mid-month around Black Water. This is a declining bird especially in the south and they haven’t bred at Needs Ore for five years or more.

A Herring Gull mid-month showed an uncharacteristically wide black band on P5 and even a small black mark on P4. Several commentators online felt that this was a classic Yellow-legged Gull wing pattern but the bird in question turned out to have pink legs suggesting that a single feature taken in isolation (wing tip pattern) is not always indicative.

The drake Garganey remained in the De L’Orne area for most of the month but was unable to find a female. He left just after the 16^th.

On the 16th I heard my first Cuckoo calling and as I walked along Warren Lane it flew across in front of me. This is two days earlier than last year. I heard Cuckoos on every visit during the rest of the month including a male coming in off the sea at the month end.

Sea watching mid-month produced the first trickle of spring passage, a Common Scoter pair west and seven Common Terns and the first Whimbrels heading east.

Common Tern passage picked up towards the end of the month including a tight fishing flock of 50 birds on the 20th. At times they streamed through at more than 30 per hour and then there’d be three or four hours with very few. The passage of Whimbrel and Bar-tailed Godwit seemed a bit more consistent with counts of 50-70 of each species on two separate sea watches in the final week of the month. Some of the Whimbrel stopped to feed inland in the fields but the Bar-tailed Godwit tended to keep moving.

Sea watching highlights included three 1^st summer Little Gulls on the 29^th.

Butterfly highlights included the first Green Hairstreak of the year on the Broom and Gorse bordering Gravelly Crossroads.

Lots of Speckled Woods flying along the hedgerows now and also good numbers of Peacock and the odd Comma. A butterfly patch tick on the 29^th, my first Orange-tip on the reserve.

The Peregrines were seen mating on many occasions during the month but there was no evidence of a breeding attempt. They male and female are away from Gull Island a lot.

A highlight on the 21^st was seeing my first odonata of the year, a Hairy Dragonfly quartering near Great Marsh. A few days later I later watched another patrolling the ditch opposite the Shore Hide.

On the 23rd it was great to watch a Hobby flying all of the way across the Solent making landfall before heading over Shore Hide and then on towards Black Water.

My first Little Terns of the year on the 27th were very distant, their amazingly rapid clockwork-toy flight action made identification easy despite the long range. On the same day a single Black-throated Diver headed east, there is a small spring passage of divers along the coast here, mainly Red-throated Divers and Black-throated Divers.

My first Gannet of the year on the 27th was a slight surprise and it came much closer than they normally do.

It’s always a treat seeing the Green-winged Orchids springing up in Spring Meadow during April.

My first damselflies of the year were Blue-tailed Damselflies which I recorded in three different places around the reserve on the 29^th.

As I was heading down Gins West Bank on the 29^th a Yellow Wagtail called above me, I didn’t see it which is a shame as they are pretty spectacular at this time of year.

Yellow Wagtail calling over the Gins

March 2022, Monthly Summaries, Spring 2022

Highlights March 2022

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The 25 year old Oystercatcher who was ringed as an adult in 1999 returned to the Old Spit Channel early in the month. The Slavonian Grebes were last seen on 1^st March, four of them.

The Avon Valley colour-ringed Redshank continued to winter on the saltmarsh near the Sluice Gate, now developing new anchor-tipped adult scapular feathers. It left on the 12^th and Lizzie confirmed it was back on the field where it hatched on the 14^th. Another colour-ringed Redshank was seen early in the month on the beach opposite Mary Monts. This Redshank was ringed as a juvenile on 11th September 2021 at Freiston on the Wash in Lincolnshire and this is the first sighting since ringing.

On De L’Orne a Kingfisher on 1^st March was sat at the back of the lagoon. This is my latest winter sighting. They head up river to breed with birds returning again in August. From Venner Hide I counted 62 Black-tailed Godwit on Wigeon Fields 1^st March. Summer plumaged birds bound for Iceland are coming through now.

There were large rafts of Eider off shore at the start of the month, groups of 25 and 15 with most of them head thrusting, wing flapping and bickering. 40 is my highest count here. A very distant Red-throated Diver headed east on the same day.

On the 1^st a nicely marked littoralis Scandinavian Rock Pipit was flushed from the beach in front of the sea watching bush. I’d seen several Scandinavian birds at the Sailing Club on the 3rd November 2021, this is probably a bird that has wintered here and is now acquiring its summer colour. Rock Pipits encountered on saltmarsh (as opposed to rocky shores) are worth checking for the littoralis race.

littoralis Scandinavian Rock Pipit photo by Mike Rafter

Spring Red Kite passage began on the 6^th and individuals were seen regularly throughout the month. Also on the 6^th a 3^rd winter argentatus Scandinavian Herring Gull flew over the Sluice Gate and then on past the Sailing Club. Identification has been discussed and confirmed with several gull experts on the continent.

It was great to finally see an adult Peregrine again on the 12^th, over three months since my last sighting. He flew across in front of the Sailing Club and landed on the shingle just beyond the Warden’s Hut. The juvenile female Peregrine flew over and joined him, sitting within a few yards of him. They subsequently mated at least twice on Gull Island and spent the rest of the month displaying including driving off another male on the 26^th.

On the WeBS count an impressive 400 Mediterranean Gulls were settled in the river mouth and on the muddy islands as the tide rose. Along with my count of 405 in late July these are the highest ever counts at Needs Ore. There was also a site high count (for me) of 38 Common Gulls which is the highest count by anyone for over three years.

The first singing Chiffchaff of the year was near the gate at Black Water on the 14th. A period of settled light southerly winds mid-month brought in lots more Chiffchaffs and after a long period of no sightings I was really pleased to see a ringed singing male Dartford Warbler on Gravelly Marsh with a ring on its right leg. This was the 12th and he was still present and singing at the month end.

The first Egyptian Goose chick was seen on the early date of 18th March.

Egyptian Geese with chick photo by Ian Williamson

Good numbers of Garganey arrived on the Hampshire Coast and there were three on De L’Orne Scrape on the 23^rd, two males and female. One of these males remained until the month end and another pair appeared to be newly arrived at Mary Monts Pools on the 30th.

Black-headed Gulls were gathering and displaying around the nesting platforms on De L’Orne with 22 pairs on the 23^rd. A Grey Wagtail called as it flew overhead on the 23rd near the Sluice Gate but I didn’t see it. Most of my records at Needs Ore seem to be autumn migrants with the odd winter record, this is my first spring record.

White Wagtail passage began on the 23rd with several birds on Droveway South. They are a passage migrant through Britain from early March to May. Most are heading to Greenland and Iceland and most of the Icelandic population of 50,000 pairs is believed to pass through the UK.

A pair of Black Swans was an unusual sight on Venner on the 23^rd. They have become self-sustaining in the UK and are well established in the wild and so are likely to be officially added to the British Avifauna at some stage soon.

A young male Velvet Scoter spent most of the morning on the 26^th drifting offshore straight out from the Shore Hide.

There have been up to six along the Hampshire Coast this winter and there have only ever been half a dozen recorded at Needs Ore including three birds together from the Sailing Club in early December 2021.

The male Little Ringed Plover returned on the 26^th. Having left in August he probably wintered in Senegal before finding his way back to the same patch of shingle. Little Ringed Plover adults don’t usually leave their breeding areas together and so it is unlikely that they will have maintained their bond in their wintering quarters. Thankfully the female also found her way back and joined him on Great Marsh on the 30^th.

A spell of warm weather towards the month end brought out lots of butterflies including Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Peacock and Red Admiral. Lots of queen bumblebees were also nectaring on various blossoms, most of the ones I saw well were B. terrestris, Buff-tailed Bumblebee and also B. lucorum, White-tailed Bumblebee.

There were three pairs of both Pochard and Tufted Duck on Venner at the month end, both species bred here last year so it will be interesting to watch progress over the coming weeks.

At the month end a Brambling was calling around the houses near the Yacht Club before flying south over the Gins. An unexpected Green Sandpiper on the 30^th was my first spring record, all 28 of my Green Sandpiper sightings in 2021 (some may relate to the same bird) were in the autumn. No Sand Martins or Wheatear in March but the first Swallow made landfall on the 30^th.

Also on the 30^th a 1^st summer male Black Redstart was found along the fence posts between Shore Hide and Wheatear Corner. This is only the second Black Redstart here in the last seven years.

By the end of the month 20-25 Lapwing and 10-15 Redshank pairs appeared to have set up territories across Warren Farm. It’s difficult to be accurate with figures especially this early in the season as some birds may not have paired up yet and some winter visitors are still to leave.

Birds present throughout March included four female type Marsh Harriers around Venner. Three 2nd calendar year birds (hatched last summer) and a sub adult female. Also the three year old male Marsh Harrier which may be old enough to breed although we ought to have seen evidence of food passes and nest building by now.

Avocet numbers built up from 23 to 49 during March and the wintering Spotted Redshank spent March around De L’Orne Scrape and also the private area on Gins West. A second spring migrant showing some summer plumage joined it on De L’Orne Lagoon at the month end.

Spoonbill numbers dropped off to a maximum 12 by mid-month, they’d all been adults throughout the winter but a 2^nd calendar year bird joined them on the 12^th.

At least one Pale-bellied Brent Goose remained on Warren Farm and the river throughout the month.

Goshawks were seen displaying throughout the month, often close to Stagg’s Wood.

These are my own sightings. A review including everyone’s sightings as noted in the log book appears in the quarterly newsletter which is e-mailed to you. The next newsletter will be sent in early June covering the spring sightings from March-May. All newsletters are archived and can be downloaded from this website, see the newsletters header.